Visible and accessible escrow systems and methods

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for processing financial instruments in ATMs or other processing devices. A user can deposit financial instruments, such as cash or a check, into the ATM, to be processed to determine the monetary value of the financial instruments. Once counted and valued, the financial instruments can be dropped into an escrow chamber. The escrow chamber can have a door or gate such that the financial instruments are visible, but not accessible during the transaction. If the customer discovers an error during the transaction, the door or gate can transition to an open state allowing the customer to retrieve the financial instruments.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of, and claims priority under 35U.S.C. § 120 to, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/676,566, filed Nov.7, 2019, the entire contents of which is fully incorporated herein byreference.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates generally to visible and/or accessibleescrow systems and methods; and particularly, to visible and accessibleescrow systems and methods for providing access to deposited financialinstruments during a transaction.

BACKGROUND

Automatic teller machines (ATMs) have become a ubiquitous part ofeveryday life. ATMs are widely used to make transactions with a varietyof financial instruments because they often provide for quick, easy, andmore convenient service than, for example, interaction at a bank with ateller. Currently, however, ATMs have some shortcomings that simplycannot match the level of service provided when making a transactionwith an actual bank teller. When conducting an in-person deposit, forexample, there are opportunities to abort a transaction or remedy anyerrors that occurred during the processing of the transaction. If ateller miscounts a stack of bills, for example, the customer can simplyask the teller to recount the bills until agreement is reached. As aresult, errors are quickly resolved with little to no inconvenience tothe customer, the teller, or the bank. Errors or disputes with ATMs, onthe other hand, can be somewhat more difficult to resolve. ATM depositscan be a challenge for many customers for a variety of reasons. ATMsgenerally have a single deposit throat or inlet, for example, whichpulls financial instruments into the machine and processes them out ofview of the customer. And, because it can be difficult to retrieve thebills or checks once inserted into the machine, the customer must hopethat the financial instruments are correctly processed. During thistime, the customer generally can no longer see or access their depositedfinancial instruments.

In some cases, customers may receive incorrect credit, or lose theirdeposit altogether, due to machine error, leaving the customer to file adispute with the bank and hope that the financial instrument(s) can berecovered and properly credited to the customer. As with any machine,ATMs can also fail or jam during use. As a result, at least some portionof customers will only make deposits directly with a bank teller. Thisgenerally increases the time required for the customer to make a depositand increases labor and capital costs for the bank, among other things.

What is needed, therefore, is a visible and accessible escrow systemthat can provide access to financial instruments during ATM transactionsand improve the transparency of financial instrument processing at ATMs.The system should improve the customer's control during a transaction,increasing comfort in, and the use of, ATMs for deposits, bill pay, andother financial transactions. Embodiments of the present disclosureaddress this need as well as other needs that will become apparent uponreading the description below in conjunction with the drawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Example of the present disclosure relate generally to visible andaccessible escrow systems and methods. Particularly, examples of thepresent disclosure relate to a visible and accessible escrow chamber toenable financial instruments to be retrieved when needed during atransaction. The system can enable a user to insert bills or checksinto, for example, an automated teller machine (ATM), have the ATM countthe bills or checks and provide a value, and then confirm or deny thetransaction (either based on an incorrect amount or for any otherreason). The ATM can include an escrow chamber that is normally locked,but can be unlocked to enable the user to retrieve the bills or checkswhen the user decides not to proceed with the transaction. This could bebecause the ATM miscounted the bills or checks, the user inserted adifferent amount than they originally intended (e.g., they inserted $100into the ATM, but only meant to deposit $60), or the user simply changedtheir mind about making a deposit.

An example of the present invention can provide a financial instrumentprocessing device (e.g., an ATM, automated checkout counter, vendingmachine, etc.) comprising a receiving slot configured to receive one ormore financial instruments from a customer, a financial instrumentprocessing unit in communication with the receiving slot and configuredto count and produce a value for the one or more financial instruments,an escrow chamber in communication with the financial instrumentprocessing unit and having a secure state and an open state, and afinancial instrument storage unit in communication with the escrowchamber. In this configuration, during at least a portion of atransaction, the one or more financial instruments can be stored in theescrow chamber pending receipt of an affirmative or negative indicationfrom the customer.

If the affirmative indication is received, then the one or morefinancial instruments can be transferred from the escrow chamber to thefinancial instrument storage unit and the transaction can be completed.If, on the other hand, the negative indication is received, then theescrow chamber can move from the secure state to the open state toenable the customer to retrieve the one or more financial instrumentsand cancel the transaction. This provides customers with more controlduring transactions made using ATMs and enables the user to change theirmind or any discrepancies to be resolved simply by canceling thetransaction and retrieving the financial instruments.

The receiving slot can receive financial instruments through, forexample, a bill throat or a coin hopper for receiving coins. In someexamples, the escrow chamber can have a window on a door on a front areaof the financial instrument processing device such that the one or morefinancial instruments are visible in the escrow chamber, but notaccessible, when the escrow chamber is in the secure state. In otherexamples, the door can comprise a grate, or other similar barriers, suchthat the one or more financial instruments are visible in the escrowchamber, but not accessible, when the escrow chamber is in the securestate. The door can also allow the one or more financial instruments tobe retrieved by a customer from the interior chamber in the open state.The escrow chamber can also define an interior chamber for holding thefinancial instruments.

The device can further comprise a display that can display financialinstrument values and an option to continue or not continue with thetransaction. An affirmative indication, for example, can be received inresponse to the customer electing to continue with the transaction.Alternatively, a negative indication can be received in response to thecustomer selecting not to continue with the transaction. The device canfurther comprise a manual override configured to send a signal to theescrow chamber to transition from the secure state to the open state.

The negative indication can be, for example, an indication that thevalue is not correct, an indication to cancel the transaction, or anindication not to continue with the transaction (for whatever reason).The affirmative indication can be an indication that the value iscorrect or an indication to continue with the transaction (for whateverreason). The affirmative or negative indication can be received inresponse to a display of the value, an affirmative option, and anegative option for the customer to make a selection between theaffirmative option and the negative option.

Another example of the present invention can provide a method ofprocessing financial instruments comprising receiving one or morefinancial instruments at a receiving slot of a housing configured totransfer the financial instruments to a financial instrument processingunit, processing the financial instruments with the financial instrumentprocessing unit to determine a monetary value for the financialinstruments, transferring the financial instruments to an escrow chamberhaving a secure state, an open state, and an interior portion at leastpartially visible to a customer in the secure state and in the openstate, providing a message to the customer on a display comprising thevalue of the financial instruments and an option to continue or not tocontinue a transaction, and when the customer elects not to continue thetransaction, causing the escrow chamber to move from the secure state tothe open state to release the financial instruments or when the customerelects to continue the transaction, transferring the financialinstruments to a financial instrument storage unit. The method canfurther comprise receiving a signal from a manual override and causingthe escrow chamber to transition from the secure state to the open statein response to receiving the signal.

The receiving slot can comprise, for example, a bill throat forreceiving paper financial instruments or a coin hopper for receivingcoins. The escrow chamber can comprise a window disposed on a front areaof the housing such that the financial instruments are visible in theescrow chamber, but not accessible, when the financial instruments arein the escrow chamber in the secure state. The escrow chamber cancomprise a door accessible from a front area of the housing. The doorcan comprise a grate, or another similar barrier, such that thefinancial instruments are visible in the escrow chamber, but notaccessible, when the financial instruments are in the escrow chamber inthe secure state. The door can also enable the financial instruments tobe retrieved from the interior portion in the open state.

Another embodiment of the present disclosure can provide an escrowdevice including a housing defining an interior chamber, a door havingan open state and a secure state accessible from an exterior surface ofthe housing and providing access to the interior chamber in the openstate and the interior chamber at least partially visible in the securestate. In some examples, the escrow device can be configured to receiveone or more financial instruments from a financial instrument processingunit during a transaction. In response to a customer electing not tocontinue with the transaction, the escrow device can move the door fromthe secure state to the open state to enable the customer to retrievethe financial instruments. In response to a customer electing tocontinue with the transaction, the escrow device can transfer thefinancial instruments to a financial instrument storage unit. Also, inresponse to receiving a signal from a manual override, the escrow devicecan transition the door to the open state during the transaction.

The door can comprise a grate, or other similar barriers, such that thefinancial instruments are visible, but not accessible, when thefinancial instruments are in the interior chamber and the door is in thesecure state. The door can alternatively be transparent such that thefinancial instruments are visible, but not accessible, when the one ormore financial instruments are in the interior chamber and the door isin the secure state.

Also disclosed herein are methods of making and using the same. Theseand other aspects of the present invention are described in the DetailedDescription of the Invention below and the accompanying figures. Otheraspects and features of embodiments of the present invention will becomeapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reviewing thefollowing description of specific, exemplary embodiments of the presentinvention in concert with the figures. While features of the presentinvention may be discussed relative to certain embodiments and figures,all embodiments of the present invention can include one or more of thefeatures discussed herein. Further, while one or more embodiments may bediscussed as having certain advantageous features, one or more of suchfeatures may also be used with the various embodiments of the inventiondiscussed herein. In similar fashion, while exemplary embodiments may bediscussed below as device, system, or method embodiments, it is to beunderstood that such exemplary embodiments can be implemented in variousdevices, systems, and methods of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate multiple embodiments of thepresently disclosed subject matter and serve to explain the principlesof the presently disclosed subject matter. The drawings are not intendedto limit the scope of the presently disclosed subject matter in anymanner.

FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a financial instrument processingdevice according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of another financial instrument processingdevice according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates a system diagram of a financial instrument processingdevice according to some embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates a system diagram of a financial instrument processingunit in a financial instrument processing device according to someembodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates a system diagram of an escrow chamber in a financialinstrument processing device according to some embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of a method of using a financialinstrument processing device according to some embodiments of thepresent disclosure.

FIGS. 6A-C illustrate examples of doors for an escrow chamber accordingto some embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As described above, a problem with current ATMs is that deposittransactions are a somewhat opaque process in which financialinstruments are processed out of control of the customer. Using currenttechnology, once financial instruments are drawn into the ATM at thedeposit slot, they are generally not retrievable. As a result, if thefinancial instruments are not correctly processed by the ATM—e.g., thebills are not counted correctly, the handwriting on a check is misread,etc.—the customer is often left with little recourse other than filing aclaim with the bank. Resolution of the claim can take time because theATM must be serviced, the financial instruments retrieved and recounted,and a corrective transaction posted to the customer's account.

In contrast, example of the present disclosure include improved systemsand methods for processing financial instruments in ATMs or otherfinancial instrument processing devices. A user can deposit financialinstruments, such as cash or a check, into the ATM, where the financialinstruments are processed to determine the monetary value of thefinancial instruments. Once counted and valued, the financialinstruments can be dropped into an escrow chamber. The escrow chambercan have a door or gate to provide the user access to the financialinstruments in the escrow chamber during some, or all, of thetransaction. In some examples, the escrow chamber can include a window,perforation, grating, or similar in the door such that the financialinstruments are visible to the user during the transaction.

The user can be provided the monetary value of their financialinstruments, as determined by the ATM, along with an option to continueor to cancel the transaction. If the user selects to continue thetransaction, the financial instruments can be moved to a storage unitand the user's account can be credited the monetary value. If the userselects to cancel the transaction, the escrow chamber can open to allowthe financial instruments to be retrieved, similar to a transaction withan in-person bank teller deposit. Such a system enables a user to makean automated deposit, pay bills, and perform other transaction at anATM, with a higher level of convenience and confidence, an added layerof confirmation to ensure accuracy, and an opportunity to retrieve thefinancial instruments when discrepancies arise.

For ease of explanation, the systems and methods described herein aredescribed with respect to an ATM. One of skill in the art willrecognize, however, that the disclosure is not so limited and that thesystems and methods could also be used on other applications. Instead ofATM, the system could be used in conjunction with, for example,self-checkout at grocery, and other, stores, vending machines of allsorts, currency exchange, ticket sales, etc. These, and otherapplications, are contemplated herein.

In addition, although certain embodiments of the disclosure areexplained in detail, it is to be understood that other embodiments arecontemplated. Accordingly, it is not intended that the disclosure islimited in its scope to the details of construction and arrangement ofcomponents set forth in the following description or illustrated in thedrawings. Other embodiments of the disclosure are capable of beingpracticed or carried out in various ways. Also, in describing theembodiments, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake ofclarity. It is intended that each term contemplates its broadest meaningas understood by those skilled in the art and includes all technicalequivalents which operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similarpurpose.

Herein, the use of terms such as “having,” “has,” “including,” or“includes” are open-ended and are intended to have the same meaning asterms such as “comprising” or “comprises” and not preclude the presenceof other structure, material, or acts. Similarly, though the use ofterms such as “can” or “may” are intended to be open-ended and toreflect that structure, material, or acts are not necessary, the failureto use such terms is not intended to reflect that structure, material,or acts are essential. To the extent that structure, material, or actsare presently considered to be essential, they are identified as such.

By “comprising” or “containing” or “including” is meant that at leastthe named compound, element, particle, or method step is present in thecomposition or article or method, but does not exclude the presence ofother compounds, materials, particles, method steps, even if the othersuch compounds, material, particles, method steps have the same functionas what is named.

It is also to be understood that the mention of one or more method stepsdoes not preclude the presence of additional method steps or interveningmethod steps between those steps expressly identified.

The components described hereinafter as making up various elements ofthe disclosure are intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. Manysuitable components that would perform the same or similar functions asthe components described herein are intended to be embraced within thescope of the disclosure. Such other components not described herein caninclude, but are not limited to, for example, similar components thatare developed after development of the presently disclosed subjectmatter.

Embodiments of the present disclosure can include a financial instrumentprocessing device. The device can include a receiving slot configured toreceive one or more financial instruments and a financial instrumentprocessing unit in communication with the receiving slot configured toproduce a value for the one or more financial instruments. The devicecan also include an escrow chamber, with a secure state and an openstate, in communication with the financial instrument processing unit.The escrow chamber can also be in communication with a financialinstrument storage unit.

During a transaction, the one or more financial instruments can bestored in the escrow chamber pending receipt of a confirmation from thecustomer (i.e., an affirmative indication accepting the transaction or anegative indication canceling the transaction). If the affirmativeindication is received, the one or more financial instruments can betransferred from the escrow chamber to the financial instrument storageunit; thus, completing the transaction (e.g., a deposit or a billpayment). If the negative indication is received, on the other hand, theescrow chamber can move from the secure state to the open state toenable the customer to retrieve the one or more financial instruments.Also disclosed herein are methods of making and using the same.

Reference will now be made in detail to exemplary embodiments of thedisclosed technology, examples of which are illustrated in theaccompanying drawings and disclosed herein. Wherever convenient, thesame references numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer tothe same or like parts.

As shown in FIG. 1A and FIG. 1B, a financial instrument processingdevice 100 can comprise an outer case, or housing 150. Included on thefront of the housing 150 can be a receiving slot 152, an escrow chamber154, and a display 160. In some embodiments, the escrow chamber 154 candefine an interior chamber 158, within the housing 150. The interiorchamber 158 can be contained within the housing 150 or may be partiallyexposed on an exterior surface of the housing 150, such as the front ofthe housing 150. Locating the interior chamber 158 within the housing150, for example, may add an extra level of security for the interiorchamber, for example, while locating the interior chamber 158 on anexterior surface of the housing 150 may improve access and/or reducecomplexity. For additional security, the escrow chamber 154 can have asecure (i.e. closed) state and an open state in which access is providedto the interior chamber.

In some embodiments, the escrow chamber 154 can comprise a door 156,which can be configured to transition the escrow chamber 154 between thesecure state and the open state. The door 156 may be hingedly coupled tothe escrow chamber 154, for example, and configured to swing open in theopen state. Alternatively, the door 156 can be disposed on a track,rail, or other sliding device such that the door 156 can slide from thesecure state to the open state. Several non-limiting examples of theescrow chamber 154 and associated the door 156 and interior chamber 158can be found in FIGS. 6A, 6B, and 6C. To secure the door 156 in thesecure (or locked) state, the door 156 can comprise latches, pins,locks, or other suitable devices.

The escrow chamber 154 can further comprise a window 159 (shown), mesh,grating, holes, or other suitable design such that the interior chamber158 is visible, but not accessible in the secure state. Though shown asa window 159 on the door 156 in FIG. 1A, the exterior surface of thehousing 150 could also include a window, grate, or the like, such thatthe interior chamber is visible (e.g., a window disposed in the housing150 above the escrow chamber). The visual designs can be sufficientlysmall in size such that a person is prevented from accessing theinterior chamber in the secure state while still being able to see intothe interior chamber. For instance, if a metal grating is used as thedoor 156, the spaces between the grating can be small enough to preventhuman fingers or other tools from entering the interior chamber whilestill remaining large enough to ensure the interior chamber is visiblefrom the outside. Alternatively, the visual designs can comprise atransparent material, rather than holes or other openings in the escrowchamber 154. For example, the escrow chamber 154 can comprise atransparent window made from an acrylic or another transparent plasticmaterial.

In some embodiments, the escrow chamber 154 and the door 156 can be madefrom the same material (e.g., a metal door with a punched grate) and mayalso be integral (i.e., formed from a single piece of material). Auniform material reduced the number of joints and attachments, thusincreasing the overall strength of the escrow chamber 154 and reducingcomplexity (and thus, labor).

In other embodiments, however, the escrow chamber 154 can be made frommultiple materials. For example, as discussed above, the escrow chamber154 can be made from a solid material, but include a window 159constructed from a transparent material. In such an embodiment, the door156, or some portion thereof, can be made from a different material thanthe window 159 and/or the rest of the escrow chamber 154. The escrowchamber 154 can be made out of carbon steel, for instance, while thedoor 156 can be made from polymethyl methacrylate to ensure the interiorchamber 158 (and the financial instruments) is visible in the securestate. The door 156 may additionally have sufficient strength such thatthe door 156 is able to withstand forces induced from striking (i.e.,with a baseball bat or crowbar), prying, tearing, cutting (i.e., with asaw), wearing (i.e., with a Dremel or sander), explosives, or gunfirewhile in the secure state. In some examples, some, or all, of the door156 can be made from Kevlar®, or other suitable composite material.

The escrow chamber 154 can further comprise various connections to othercomponents of financial instrument processing device 100. The escrowchamber 154 can be in electrical communication with a manual override140, the display 160, and a memory (not shown), among other things. Theelectrical communication can provide the transfer of power, signals,information, or other similar communications between components. Theescrow chamber 154 can receive inputs from, for example, the manualoverride 140, a touch screen 162 on the display 160, a keypad 130, or amicrophone 120, among other things. A customer initiating the manualoverride 140 to cancel a transaction, for example, can cause the manualoverride 140 to send a signal to the escrow chamber 154 to transitionfrom the secure state to the open state. In other embodiments, acustomer canceling a transaction on the touch screen 162 can cause thetouch screen 162 to send a signal to the escrow chamber 154 totransition from the secure state to the open state. In some embodiments,the memory (not shown) can also be in electrical communication with theescrow chamber 154 and configured to send instructions to the escrowchamber 154.

The escrow chamber 154 can also include various inlets and outlets toprovide mechanical communication with other components of financialinstrument processing device 100. During a transaction, for instance,the financial instrument processing device 100 can transfer one or morefinancial instruments from the receiving slot 152 (where the one or morefinancial instruments are received from the customer) to the escrowchamber 154. As shown in FIG. 1B, the receiving slot 152 can also beconfigured to receive one or more financial instruments in the form ofcoins (i.e., with a coin hopper 152 a), checks (i.e., with a checkreceiver 152 b), or paper bills (i.e., with a bill throat 152 c). Insome embodiments, the escrow chamber 154 can receive one or morefinancial instruments from other components of the financial instrumentprocessing device 100, such as a financial instrument processing unit(not shown). Additionally, the escrow chamber 154 can have the abilityto transfer one or more financial instruments out of the escrow chamber154 to other components of financial instrument processing device 100.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a financial instrument processingdevice 100 illustrating the various components of the financialinstrument processing device 100. As shown, receiving slot 152 can be atleast partially contained on a front area of the housing 150 and atleast partially contained within the housing 150. Receiving slot 152 canreceive one or more financial instruments (i.e., from a customer) andpull the one or more financial instruments into the interior of thehousing 150 and the financial instrument processing device 100.Receiving slot 152 can be in mechanical communication with a financialinstrument processing unit 210 and can transfer the one or morefinancial instruments to the financial instrument processing unit 210 tobe processed. The financial instrument processing unit 210 can processthe one or more financial instruments and be in mechanical communicationwith the escrow chamber 154. The escrow chamber 154 can receive the oneor more financial instruments after they have been processed by thefinancial instrument processing unit 210. As discussed above, the escrowchamber 154 can have various inlets and outlets placing it in mechanicalcommunication with other components, such as a financial instrumentstorage unit 220. The escrow chamber 154 can transfer the one or morefinancial instruments to the financial instrument storage unit 220 forsafe and secure storage.

The components described herein can further be in electricalcommunication with each other, as well as with other components of thefinancial instrument processing device 100. The financial instrumentprocessing device 100 can comprise a memory 230 storing variousinstructions, programs, databases, and the like, such as an operatingsystem (OS) 234, a program 232, and a storage device 236. In someembodiments, the memory 230 can further comprise one or more processorsto execute programs, store data, communicate with other components, andthe like. The memory 230 can also provide external communication. Forexample, the memory 230 can communicate over a network with varioussystems, such as a security system or an account provider system.

In some embodiments, the memory 230 can communicate within the financialinstrument processing device 100. The memory 230 can communicate withthe display 160, for instance, to provide a user interface (UI) or othergraphics to a customer. The memory 230 can further allow or facilitatecommunicate of the other components of the financial instrumentprocessing device 100. For example, the memory 230 can receive a value164 of one or more financial instruments processed by the financialinstrument processing unit 210. The memory 230 can then cause thedisplay 160 to display the value 164 to the customer, as shown in FIGS.1A and 1B. The memory 230 can cause the display 160 to provide a message166 of a transaction initiated by a customer. If a customer elects tocancel the transaction at the touch screen 162, for example, the memory230 can send a signal to the escrow chamber 154 to transition to theopen state. If a customer elects to continue the transaction at thetouch screen 162, the memory 230 can send a signal to the escrow chamber154 to transfer one or more financial instruments to the financialinstrument storage unit 220.

In some embodiments, the connection between the memory 230 and anaccount provider system over a network can complete a transaction. Forexample, after one or more financial instruments have been processed toobtain a value 164, and the value 164 has been confirmed on the display160 by a customer, the memory 230 can provide the value 164 to theaccount provider system to credit the value 164 to the accountassociated with the customer. In some embodiments, the account providersystem can provide information to the financial instrument processingdevice 100, such as an account balance for the customer, a creditreceipt, and the like.

Such an embodiment allows for efficient electrical and mechanicalcommunication of all components in the financial instrument processingdevice 100. It is understood that the aforementioned examples are meantto be illustrative, and one of ordinary skill in the art wouldappreciate that several configurations and connections of the variouscomponents are possible and contemplated within the scope of thisdisclosure. Such embodiments as described above allow for efficient andimproved processing of transaction and allow for financial instrumentsto be processed with a greater level of trust to the customer.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a financial instrumentprocessing unit 210 for processing one or more financial instrumentsduring a transaction initiated by a customer of a financial instrumentprocessing device 100. The financial instrument processing unit 210 cancomprise a financial instrument receiver 320, a financial instrumentprocessor 310, and a communication interface 330. The financialinstrument receiver 320 can be in communication with a receiving slot152 and can receive one or more financial instruments from the receivingslot 152. The financial instrument receiver 320 can then transfer theone or more financial instruments to the financial instrument processor310. The financial instrument processor 310 can be in mechanicalcommunication with the escrow chamber 154 and can transfer one or morefinancial instruments out of the financial instrument processing unit210 and into the escrow chamber 154. The financial instrument processor310 can further be in electrical communication with a communicationinterface 330, providing a connection with the other components of thefinancial instrument processing device 100 and allowing the financialinstrument processing unit 210 to have electrical communication with thememory 230.

The financial instrument processor 310 can comprise several componentsfor processing one or more financial instruments as provided during atransaction. The financial instrument processor 310 can comprise, forinstance, a financial instrument counter 312, a discriminator 314, animage sensor 316, and other similar processing components, such as coinsorters, check scanners, size sorters, color sensors, and the like.Other processing components can be present to effectively process one ormore financial instruments. Once the processing is complete, thefinancial instrument processor 310 can provide information to thecommunication interface 330 to send the information elsewhere in thefinancial instrument processing device 100. For example, the financialinstrument processor 310 can obtain a value 164 of the one or morefinancial instruments and provide the value 164 to a communicationinterface 330. The communication interface 330 can then send the value164 to the memory 230 or directly to the display 160 to display thevalue 164 to the customer. Additionally, the communication interface 330can receive instructions or information from elsewhere in the financialinstrument processing device 100. For instance, if a customer activatesa manual override 140 while the financial instrument processor 310 isprocessing one or more financial instruments, the communicationinterface 330 can receive instructions to terminate the processing andsend the one or more financial instruments to the escrow chamber 154.The mechanical communication can then transfer the one or more financialinstruments out of the financial instrument processing unit 210 and intothe escrow chamber 154.

FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of the escrow chamber 154 forholding one or more financial instruments during a transaction initiatedby a customer of a financial instrument processing device 100. As shown,the escrow chamber 154 can comprise an interior chamber 158 and the door156. As discussed above, the escrow chamber 154 can be in mechanicalcommunication with other components of the financial instrumentprocessing device 100. For example, the escrow chamber 154 can be inmechanical communication with a financial instrument processing unit 210to receive one or more financial instruments after processing. Theescrow chamber 154 can also be in mechanical communication with afinancial instrument storage unit 220 to store one or more financialinstruments securely after a transaction has been completed. The escrowchamber 154 can further have additional electrical communication with amemory 230 or other components of the financial instrument processingdevice 100. If a customer elects to cancel the transaction at a touchscreen 162, for example, the memory 230 can send a signal to the escrowchamber 154 to transition to the open state. If a customer elects tocontinue the transaction at the touch screen 162, the memory 230 cansend a signal to the escrow chamber 154 to transfer one or morefinancial instruments to the financial instrument storage unit 220.

The transition of the escrow chamber 154 from secure state to open statecan be accomplished by moving the door 156. The door 156 can beaccessible from the exterior of the housing 150 and can provide accessto interior chamber 158. The door 156 may be hingedly coupled to theescrow chamber 154 and configured to swing open in the open state.Alternatively, the door 156 can be disposed on a track, rail, or othersliding device such that the door 156 can slidably open in the openstate. Several non-limiting examples of the escrow chamber 154 andassociated the door 156 and interior chamber 158 can be found in FIGS.6A, 6B, and 6C. In order to secure the door 156 in the secure state, thedoor 156 can comprise latches, pins, locks, and other similar fastenersto securely attach the door 156 to the escrow chamber 154 in the securestate.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flowchart of an exemplary method of conducting atransaction using a financial instrument processing device 100. As shownin block 510, a transaction can be initiated on the financial instrumentprocessing device 100 by a customer initiating the transaction at adisplay 160 (i.e., on a touch screen 162, a keypad 130, or a microphone120). The transaction, for instance, can be a withdrawal, a deposit, anaccount balance check, and the like. Messages can be delivered to thecustomer via the display 160 or a speaker 110 to aid in progressing thetransaction. Messages can be created by a memory 230 or stored in thememory 230 (i.e., a program 232). In some embodiments, the memory 230can communicate with an account provider system to obtain information ofthe customer or to verify information input by the customer. Forexample, the financial instrument processing device 100 can ask thecustomer for other information, such as an account number, a personalidentification number (PIN), a password, a transaction type, and thelike. In such an embodiment, the memory 230 can allow for acommunication link between the financial instrument processing device100 and an account provider system via a network. In some embodiments,the method then may proceed to block 520.

In block 520, financial instrument processing device can receive one ormore financial instruments from the customer. For example, the customercan insert one or more paper bills (i.e., into a bill throat 152 c) andone or more coins (i.e., into a coin hopper 152 a) into the financialinstrument processing device 100 after indicating the desiredtransaction is a cash deposit. Other financial instruments may bereceived by the financial instrument processing device 100 depending onthe transaction initiated by the customer. In some embodiments, thereceiving slot 152 can comprise additional receivers for multiple typesof financial instruments not shown, such as bank card slots, credit cardslots, card chips, cashier's checks, money orders, treasury notes,bonds, and the like. In some embodiments, the method then may proceed toblock 530.

In block 530, the one or more financial instruments can be transferredto a financial instrument processing unit 210 to be processed. Asdiscussed above, the financial instrument processing unit 210 can, forexample, count, sort, stack, image, analyze, or process using other likemethods the one or more financial instruments. The financial instrumentprocessing unit 210 can then obtain a value for the one or morefinancial instruments. The value can be provided to the memory 230 whereit can be, for example, stored (i.e., in a storage device 236), sent tothe account provider system, or displayed to the customer (i.e., on thedisplay 160 or the speaker 110). In some embodiments, the method thenmay proceed to block 540.

In block 540, the one or more financial instruments can be transferredfrom the financial instrument processing unit 210 to the escrow chamber154. The escrow chamber 154 can contain the one or more financialinstruments in an interior chamber 158 while remaining in the securestate. It is understood that the one or more financial instruments canpass through additional components before reaching the escrow chamber154. In the escrow chamber 154, the one or more financial instrumentscan remain clearly visible to the customer, such as through a steelmesh, metal grating, transparent window, and the like. Thus, the one ormore financial instruments can be visible to the customer whileremaining securely contained in the escrow chamber 154 and the interiorchamber 158. In some embodiments, the method then may proceed to block550.

In block 550, a message can be displayed to the customer on the display160. For example, the value obtained by the financial instrumentprocessing unit 210 can be displayed on the display 160 along with aconfirmation message asking the customer if the amount is correct. Thecustomer can then determine if they would like to continue or cancel thetransaction based on whether or not the value displayed on the display160 is correct. The message can further comprise an option to continueor cancel the transaction, and the message can await input from thecustomer to the options (i.e., on the touch screen 162, the keypad 130,or the microphone 120). Other messages can be displayed to the customer,including but not limited to, asking the customer to confirm theiraccount number, a check number obtained from the financial instrumentprocessing unit 210, a check date obtained from the financial instrumentprocessing unit 210, and the like. The messages can be determined basedon information from the financial instrument processing unit 210 andprovided to the memory 230, or the messages can be predetermined andstored in the memory 230 (i.e., in the program 232, the OS 234, or thestorage device 236). In some embodiments, the method then may proceed toblock 560.

In block 560, the customer can determine if they would like to continueor cancel the transaction based on whether or not the value displayed onthe display 160 is correct. The message can further comprise an optionto continue or cancel the transaction, and the customer can select anoption and input the selection to the financial instrument processingdevice 100 (i.e., on the touch screen 162, the keypad 130, or themicrophone 120). In other words, the customer can provide an affirmativeindication or a negative indication. For example, the negativeindication can be an indication not to continue with the transaction,and indication to cancel the transaction, or an indication that thevalue is not correct. Alternatively, the affirmative indication can bean indication to continue with the transaction, or an indication thatthe value is correct.

The input by the customer can be received and processed using the memory230 to determine how to proceed. Once a determination is made,instructions can be prepared and/or sent from the memory 230 to othercomponents of the financial instrument processing device 100. If thecustomer elects to cancel the transaction, the method then may proceedto block 570. If the customer elects to continue the transaction, themethod then may proceed to block 580.

In block 570, instructions can be sent to the escrow chamber 154 to movefrom the secure state to the open state. For example, the door 156 canslide open to reveal the interior chamber 158 and, therefore, the one ormore financial instruments. The instructions can be sent to escrowchamber in the form of a signal from the memory 230, although it isunderstood that other methods of transitioning the escrow chamber 154 tothe open state are contemplated. For example, if the customer depressesa cancel button on the keypad 130, the depressed button may mechanicallytransition the escrow chamber 154 to the open state using mechanicaloperations such as pistons, levers, pulleys, and the like. Once theescrow chamber 154 is in the open state, the customer can then retrievethe one or more financial instruments. In some embodiments, the escrowchamber 154 may transition back to the secure state after apredetermined amount of time. Otherwise, the escrow chamber 154 maytransition back to the secure state after the customer indicates thatthey have retrieved the one or more financial instruments. The customercan do this on, for example, the keypad 130, the touch screen 162, orthe microphone 120. In some embodiments, the method may terminate andcomplete after block 570. However, in other embodiments, the method maycontinue on to other method steps not shown.

In block 580, instructions can be sent to the escrow chamber 154 totransfer the one or more financial instruments to a financial instrumentstorage unit 220. The instructions can be sent to escrow chamber in theform of a signal from the memory 230, although it is understood thatother methods of transitioning the escrow chamber 154 to the open stateare contemplated. In some embodiments, the method then may proceed toblock 590.

In block 590, the value of the one or more financial instrumentsobtained from the financial instrument processing unit 210 can becredited to the customer. For example, the value, being stored in thememory 230, can be provided to the account provider system to indicatethat the value should be added to the customer's account. The customer'saccount may have been determined already based on customer inputs, suchas inputting an account number, or the customer's account can bedetermined by prompting the customer for additional information. In thismanner, the account provider system can credit the value obtained by thefinancial instrument processing device 100 to the customer's account.The memory 230 can be in communication with the account provider systemover a network, or other such method of connectivity known to those ofordinary skill in the art. The memory 230 can also provide a message tothe customer indicating that the value was credited to their account,such as on the display 160. The memory 230 can also print out a receiptor other transaction confirmation. In such an embodiment, the customercan receive a physical confirmation from the financial instrumentprocessing device 100 that the transaction was processed, and the valuewas credited to their account. In some embodiments, the method mayterminate and complete after block 590. However, in other embodiments,the method may continue on to other method steps not shown.

As used in this application, the terms “component,” “module,” “system,”“server,” “processor,” “memory,” and the like are intended to includeone or more computer-related units, such as but not limited to hardware,firmware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or softwarein execution. For example, a component may be, but is not limited tobeing, a process running on a processor, an object, an executable, athread of execution, a program, and/or a computer. By way ofillustration, both an application running on a computing device and thecomputing device can be a component. One or more components can residewithin a process and/or thread of execution and a component may belocalized on one computer and/or distributed between two or morecomputers. In addition, these components can execute from variouscomputer readable media having various data structures stored thereon.The components may communicate by way of local and/or remote processessuch as in accordance with a signal having one or more data packets,such as data from one component interacting with another component in alocal system, distributed system, and/or across a network such as theInternet with other systems by way of the signal.

Certain embodiments and implementations of the disclosed technology aredescribed above with reference to block and flow diagrams of systems andmethods according to example embodiments or implementations of thedisclosed technology. It will be understood that one or more blocks ofthe block diagrams and flow diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theblock diagrams and flow diagrams, respectively, can be implemented bycomputer-executable program instructions. Likewise, some blocks of theblock diagrams and flow diagrams may not necessarily need to beperformed in the order presented, may be repeated, or may notnecessarily need to be performed at all, according to some embodimentsor implementations of the disclosed technology.

While the present disclosure has been described in connection with aplurality of exemplary aspects, as illustrated in the various figuresand discussed above, it is understood that other similar aspects can beused, or modifications and additions can be made, to the describedaspects for performing the same function of the present disclosurewithout deviating therefrom. For example, in various aspects of thedisclosure, methods and compositions were described according to aspectsof the presently disclosed subject matter. However, other equivalentmethods or composition to these described aspects are also contemplatedby the teachings herein. Therefore, the present disclosure should not belimited to any single aspect, but rather construed in breadth and scopein accordance with the appended claims.

Exemplary Use Cases

The following exemplary use cases describe examples of a typical userflow pattern. They are intended solely for explanatory purposes and notlimitation.

A transaction can be initiated on a financial instrument processingdevice 100, such as an ATM. The financial instrument processing device100 can prompt a customer to insert one or more financial instrumentsinto a receiving slot 152. Once one or more financial instruments areinserted into the receiving slot 152, they can be transferred to afinancial instrument processing unit 210. The financial instrumentprocessing unit 210 can process the one or more financial instruments,involving such processes as counting, sorting, imaging, and the like.The financial instrument processing unit 210 can then obtain a value ofthe one or more financial instruments and store the value in a memory230 and/or provide the value to the customer via a display 160. Thememory 230 can then provide a confirmation message to the customerasking them to continue or to cancel the transaction based on whether ornot the value is correct. While the value is being provided to thecustomer, the one or more financial instruments can be transferred tothe escrow chamber 154. In the escrow chamber 154, the one or morefinancial instruments may remain securely contained by the escrowchamber 154 in the secure state, while still visible to the customer.The financial instrument processing device 100 can then receive an inputfrom the customer in response to the confirmation message (e.g., amessage 166). The input can be conducted via a touch screen 162, akeypad 130, and/or a microphone 120. If the customer elected to cancelthe transaction, the memory 230 can process the customer input and senda signal to the escrow chamber 154 to transition the escrow chamber 154to the open state. In this manner, the customer is able to retrieve theone or more financial instruments and cancel the transaction. If thecustomer elected to continue the transaction, the memory 230 can processthe customer input and send a signal to the escrow chamber 154 totransfer the one or more financial instruments to a financial instrumentstorage unit 220. The one or more financial instruments can then be heldsecurely in the financial instrument storage unit 220 until they areretrieved. The memory 230 can then credit the value to the customer'saccount in an account provider system via a network. Once credited, thetransaction can be terminated, and the customer may be provided atransaction receipt or confirmation.

A customer may walk up to an ATM (i.e., a financial instrumentprocessing device 100) to initiate a transaction. The ATM may prompt thecustomer to insert one or more financial instruments into a receivingslot 152. The customer may wish to deposit a check and then place theircheck onto a holder (i.e., a check receiver 152 b). The holder mayretract into the ATM and transfer the check to a financial instrumentprocessing unit 210. The check can then be processed by a check scanneror imager (i.e., an image sensor 316) to determine information from thecheck, such as check amount, check date, check number, customersignature, account number, and the like. The check can then be movedfrom financial instrument processing unit to the escrow chamber 154.Once in the escrow chamber 154, the customer may then be able to seetheir check (i.e., through a transparent window, a grating, or a mesh)without being able to access their check. This also prevents anymalevolent thieves or malicious actors from stealing the customer'scheck during the transaction. A touch screen display of the ATM (i.e., adisplay 160) can then display the check information gleaned by thefinancial instrument processing unit 210. The touch screen display candisplay the check amount, check date, and endorsement signature and askthe customer to confirm that the information is correct and if they wantto continue the deposit. If the customer elects to cancel the depositbecause the value is incorrect, the customer can select the canceloption on the touch screen display. The escrow chamber 154 will thenopen and the customer can retrieve their check. If the customer electsto continue the deposit because the information is all correct, thecustomer can select the continue option on the touch screen display. Theescrow chamber 154 will then transfer the check to a financialinstrument storage unit 220 and the value of the check will be creditedto the customer's account. The customer may then be provided a depositreceipt.

A customer may walk up to an ATM (i.e., financial instrument processingdevice 100) to initiate a transaction. The ATM may prompt the customerto insert one or more financial instruments into a receiving slot 152.The customer may wish to deposit $215 in cash paper bills and theninsert their bills into a throat (i.e., a bill throat 152 c). The throatmay then pull the bills into the ATM and transfer the bills to afinancial instrument processing unit 210. However, during processing,the customer may realize they accidentally deposited an extra $20 billthat they needed for later. The customer can then activate a manualcancellation button (i.e., a manual override 140) by depressing thebutton. This can input can be received by a memory 230, and the memory230 can then send signals to the financial instrument processing unit210 to terminate processing and immediately send the bills to the escrowchamber 154. The memory 230 can additionally send signals to the escrowchamber 154 to transition from the secure state to the open state. Thus,the customer can retrieve their bills and either move to a differentlocation or try to initiate the deposit again with the correct number ofbills.

What is claimed is:
 1. A financial instrument processing device, comprising: an escrow chamber in communication with a financial instrument processing unit, the escrow chamber comprising: a housing defining an interior chamber; and a door connected to the housing and having a secure state and an open state, the door providing access to the interior chamber in the open state, the interior chamber being at least partially visible in the secure state; the escrow chamber being configured to: receive one or more financial instruments from the financial instrument processing unit during a transaction while the door is in the secure state during the transaction; determine that a customer elected not to continue with the transaction; and transition the door from the secure state to the open state to enable the customer to retrieve the one or more financial instruments.
 2. The financial instrument processing device of claim 1, wherein the door comprises a grate disposed on an exterior surface of the escrow chamber.
 3. The financial instrument processing device of claim 1, wherein the door comprises a transparent window disposed on an exterior surface of the escrow chamber.
 4. The financial instrument processing device of claim 1, further comprising a receiving slot connected to the financial instrument processing unit.
 5. The financial instrument processing device of claim 4, wherein the receiving slot comprises a bill throat for receiving paper financial instruments.
 6. The financial instrument processing device of claim 5, wherein the receiving slot further comprises a coin hopper for receiving coins.
 7. The financial instrument processing device of claim 1, further comprising: a display configured to display a value of the one or more financial instruments and an option to continue or not continue with the transaction to the customer; and wherein a negative indication is received in response to the customer electing not to continue with the transaction.
 8. The financial instrument processing device of claim 1, further comprising: a manual override configured to send a signal to the escrow chamber to transition from the secure state to the open state.
 9. A method of processing financial instruments, comprising: transferring one or more financial instruments to an escrow chamber, the escrow chamber having a secure state, an open state, and an interior portion, the interior portion at least partially visible, but not accessible, to a customer in the secure state, wherein a value of the one or more financial instruments is determined by a financial instrument processing unit; providing a message to a customer on a display, the message comprising the value and an option to continue, or not to continue, a transaction; determine that the customer elected not to continue the transaction; and transition the escrow chamber from the secure state to the open state to enable the customer to retrieve the one or more financial instruments.
 10. The method of claim 9, further comprising: receiving the one or more financial instruments at a receiving slot, the receiving slot configured to transfer the one or more financial instruments to the financial instrument processing unit; and processing the one or more financial instruments with the financial instrument processing unit to determine a value for the one or more financial instruments, wherein the financial instrument processing unit is configured to transfer the one or more financial instruments to the escrow chamber.
 11. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving slot comprises a bill throat for receiving paper financial instruments.
 12. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving slot further comprises a coin hopper for receiving coins.
 13. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving slot further comprises a check scanner for receiving checks.
 14. The method of claim 9, further comprising: receiving a signal from a manual override; and causing the escrow chamber to transition from the secure state to the open state in response to receiving the signal.
 15. The method of claim 9, wherein the escrow chamber comprises a door enclosing the interior portion in the secure state such that the interior portion is visible, but not accessible, the door further being accessible from a front area of the escrow chamber in the open state.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the door comprises a grate disposed on an exterior surface of the escrow chamber.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein the door comprises a transparent window disposed on an exterior surface of the escrow chamber.
 18. A financial instrument processing device, comprising: a financial instrument processor configured to receive one or more financial instruments from a financial instrument receiver; and an escrow chamber connected to the financial instrument processor, the escrow chamber comprising: a housing defining an interior chamber; and a door disposed on an external side of the housing, the door having an open state and a secure state, the door providing access to the interior chamber in the open state, and the interior chamber at least partially visible in the secure state, wherein the financial instrument processing device is configured to: receive the one or more financial instruments from the financial instrument receiver; obtain a value associated with the one or more financial instruments; receive a signal indicating that the value associated with the one or more financial instruments is incorrect; and transition the door from the secure state to the open state to allow access to the one or more financial instruments.
 19. The financial instrument processing device of claim 18, wherein the door comprises a grate disposed on an exterior surface of the escrow chamber.
 20. The financial instrument processing device of claim 18, wherein the door comprises a transparent window disposed on an exterior surface of the escrow chamber. 